Gender, Rivers & Land

If you thought it cool that President Barack Obama slept in a hotel surrounded by hulks of Utah Transit Authority steel during his stay in Salt Lake City, then you should commence a week of civic engagement by learning about the gender wage gap. Follow that up with a day of restoration on the Jordan River, one of Utah's most neglected, but unbelievably beautiful, waterways. Then, check out a Draper City Council meeting, where a bunch of land will be rezoned and 200-square-foot tower signs will be mulled.

Gender Wage GapThursday, April 9Stories abound about men who get paid more than their women counterparts for no other reason than gender. The Hinckley Institute of Politics is hosting a discussion called "Equal Pay: Debunking the Myths Behind the Gender Wage Gap," with Dr. Gunseli Berik, an economics professor at the U. This is the Hinckley Institute's latest Pizza and Politics installation. And, I've been assured, there will be plenty of both to go around.Hinckley Institute of Politics, Orson Spencer Hall, 260 S. Central Campus Drive, University of Utah, 12:30 p.m.-1:30 p.m., Hinckley.Utah.edu

Jordan River RestorationSaturday, April 11The effort to restore the lower Jordan River as it flows from Salt Lake County into Davis County continues Saturday morning, where volunteers will have a chance to plant shrubs and trees. These restoration events are held each quarter, so don't miss the chance to get out and learn a little about what might well be the most important, and yet least appreciated, river along the Wasatch Front.Legacy Nature Preserve, 1113 W. Center St., North Salt Lake, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., JordanRiverCommission.com, 801-520-2505

Draper LandTuesday, April 14Few places along the Wasatch Front showcase Utah's rapidly changing face more than Draper, where it seems that efforts to rezone various parcels of land are a weekly engagement. See it firsthand this week when Draper officials will contemplate five different projects, all requiring some tweaks to existing zoning laws. One interesting item will involve "tower signs" along Interstate 15, which have 200-square-feet of sign space and are 20 feet tall.Draper City Hall, 1020 E. Pioneer Road, Draper, 7 p.m., Draper.UT.US